This past Saturday my second guest of the day for The Only Cafe Portrait Series was my good friend Connie Crosbie. This was the very first frame I shot, and it turns out in the case the first frame was the best. I just love that smile!
My friend Richard Weiss was in town yesterday, so I had to snag him for my portrait project! He is a seriously smart guy!
Today I was with my good friend John Russell. I first met John over thirty years ago.
My first out-of-towner for the project! My very talented photographer/videographer friend Jess Hobbs is in Toronto this weekend for Toronto Film Shooters / Classic Camera Revival podcast events, so of course a shoot at The Only Cafe was mandatory!
Only Cafe Portrait Series #5. I had a great time this morning meeting up with my good friend (and extremely talented photographer) Jamie Marcellus.
As always for this project, shooting with my Sony A7ii and my old Helios 44 lens (58mm/f2).
If you are in the Toronto area and can get to the Donlands/Danforth area and would like to be part of this project, please let me know!
Out with my friend Alex Smith on a rather soggy morning, but safe inside the Only Cafe.
Today the third portrait in this ongoing project. It was fun chasing the best light around the table for this portrait; I asked Jeff to sit in three different chairs, and the light was definitely the best where he was sitting for this image.
I am continuing to have fun with the combination of my close to six decades old Helios lens and my only a few years old Sony A7ii digital body. This image is from the Beaches this past Sunday. I managed to capture some of the background swirl this lens is known for.
I have decided to start a new long term project called The Only Cafe Portrait Series; all images as follows:
Today’s portrait of my good friend Ori is actually the second in the series. (Link to the first). If you are in Toronto (or plan to be in the future) and would like be a subject for this project, let me know at johngmeadows@gmail.com.
https://www.podbean.com/media/player/rvwq2-690507?from=yiiadmin
Imperfection is the common theme this week; I talk about how I love the artistic effect of the optical imperfections of the Helios 44/2 lens, and the copy of got for my Nikon, tricked out to work on a Nikon body, by this clever technician (fascinating video by the way).
The other aspect of Imperfection is a reflection on my piano lessons and music, and dealing with the ups and downs of the creative process.
Here are a couple of examples of the swirly effect that is possible with the Helios 44 series of lenses.
My Third Eye 